Improvement in mills for crushing sugar-cane



D. BASSETT- Sugar Cane Crusher.

Patented Aug. 2, 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

DANIEL BASSET T, OF W'HITI-IVVA'IER, \VISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT lN MILLS FOR CRUSHING SUGAR-CANE.

s ociilcanon forming part f Letters Patent No. 2-1.9!!2. dated August 2. I 59.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, Damn-n. Bssssr'r. of \Vhitewnter, in the county of \Vulworth and State of \Viscousin, have invented a. new and useful Machine for Crushing Sugar-Cane and Expressing the Juice therefrom; and [do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters oi reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Figs. 4 andh are views of detached parts.

The same letters are used to designate corresponding parts in the several views.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinventloml will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

0 O O 0 in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is the frame work. A A are tongued rollers mounted on a horizontal shaft, Z. These tougued rollers run into corresponding circular channels i n the peripheries of the rollers B B.whichare similarly mounted below on the shaft Z, thusconstitoting pairs, of which one or more may he placed on shafts in the manner represented. Upon each of the shafts are placed equal-sized cog-wheels 0 C, moshing into each other,which insures simultaneous motion of the rollers in opposite direct-ions, as represented by the arrows, power being applied to the lower shaft at- P, as shown in Fig. 1, orbyanyother mode oi application. The shaft of the upper or tongued rollers is so placed in bones ateither end as to permit of a vertical movemcntmnd is held down by levers DD in Fig. 2 at each end, upon which are placed weights W. by means of which the pressure upon the rollers is determined at will. The fulcrum of'eoch lever consisisoi asockot,k,uttaohed to the framework, into which the end of thelcvcr lsfltted. The bar V is bolted to the frame-work across the front and immediately opposite the points of contact of the pairs oi rollers, and serves as it support for the "stripper" and "pecking" or wiper" l". The stripper, Fig. 2, consists of a tube three or four inches in diameter, attached to and praising through the her V immediately opposite the points of contectot the pairs of rollers. respectively, (there being a stripper for each pair of rollers,) and is provided with spring-caps and combine cam, as hereinafi-er shown.

Fig. 5 is a detached viewof thcspring-caps: 9, an edge view; g". a tint view, It being thecap part 0! the spring; h, a view of the fennel the cap from the front.

Fig. 4 is a detached view of the combined cam G; N, the handle, and a a s s the inclined planes. The combined cam is constructed with a. short tube, as represented in Fig. 2,

which enters the stripping tube, and the springs (of which there may be two or more,) being in position, rest on the inclined planes of the combined cam G immediatelybehind their eaps, the other end of thesprings being tixcd to the stripper-tube near its junction with the bar V. The caps of thesprings cover the outer end oi the stripper and combined cam tube, o\-'r-rlappingenchother. The

aperture of the stripper is formed by the cutout portion of the caps, as shownot p, Fig. 5,

and its size determined by the position of the combined cum I}, which. when rotated laterally, produces by the action of the inclined planes under and against the springs a separation oi" the caps and a consequent enlargement of the aperture. The exterior edges of the cops around the aperture are made sharp,

and provided with points p. The eii'ect of the springs is to cause close contact of the sharp edges and pointsot' the maps with the cane when passsd through the stripper.

The packing or wiper F consists of two sepmute portions of leather, indie-rubber, or any similar elastic substance attached by metal plates to the inside of the bar V at each side of the iuteriorapertnrc oi the stripper, and is placed closely in contact with that portion of the sides of the tongued rollcr which runs in the channel of its opposite roller,and also closely in contact with the edges or periphery of thclowor channeled roller, its form being such as to adapt it to this position and to prevent the latcml discharge of the expressed juice. The clearer" is a curved flat spring. E, attached to the girt II. as shown in h igs. 2 and 3. By the tension of the spring the upper portion is kept in close. ilrm contact with the bottom and sides of the channel of the lower roller at the point represented in the sketch. The 0 out of the clearer is to prevent the adhesion o the exhausted cone to the roller and to keep the meat of the handle N.

channel clear. A similar device may he an plied tothe tongue-roller, if deemed necessary.

The operation of my improved cane-mill is as follows: Power being applied to the lower shaft, motion is given to the rollers in the direetiou of the arrows. ]-2aeh eane is passed through the stripper until engaged between the rollers. when it is drawn through, and by the action of the sharp edges and points of the caps at the external aperture it is stripped of its leaves, and the juice expressed at-the same time is received in the trough L.

The aperture of the stripper is adapted to the size of the cane by the lateral rotary move The pressure upon the rollers is determined by the amount of weight on the levers.

By the employmentoi'chanueled and tongued rollers I am enabled to prevent the lateral spread of the cane. and thus confining it within the limits of the channel, subject it to a greater effective pressure, and by the arrangement of the packing, which acts as a wiper, I prevent the lateral distribution of the expressed juice over large surfaces and conduct it into proper vessels without the possibility of contact with the exhausted cane, which would quickly reabsorb it.

By the introduction of a single cane to each pair of rollers I avoid iinperi'eet crushing. the danger of clogging. and the breakage incident to over-feeding, and am thus enabled to run the mill at much greater velocity than has hitherto been attained in machines for similar purposes.

llaringdeseribed my improvement in caneinills. pointed out the mode of operation, and the advantages to be derived therefrom, what I claim as my invention. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangementand combination of the tongue-:nidgroove rollers A B, wiper F, and stripper, as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

2. The stripper when composed of springcaps and a movable cam, G, and when arranged and combined with rollers A B, substnntially as and for the purpose hereiushown and described.

D ANI EL BASSETT.

\Vitnesses:

B. G. NOBLiQ, E. II. NORTON. 

